Chapter 10: The Fit of Denial
(Author's Notes: Hey everybody…as you can see it's been a really, really long time since I last updated on this story. I'm sorry I haven't updated, but you know school and my part-time job is what keeps me busy. Fortunately thank goodness for my week off school…so here is the latest chapter. Keep sending in those reviews. The song featured in this chapter is Imogen Heap's "Hide and Seek".)
About two weeks passed since Kat and Jason returned from San Antonio. Unfortunately for them, they couldn't bring themselves to reveal to Louise that they didn't legally adopt her because of the fact that she was Tommy and Kimberly's daughter. Since they came back, Louise's attitude and behavior has drastically changed and she remained quieter than ever and found herself constantly playing piano on a daily basis and practicing her gymnastics. It began to trouble Kat and Jason as they were almost on the verge of helping the girl heal.
"What do we do now?" Kat asked, "She's been like this for two weeks. She won't talk to us, she wouldn't play with Liam, and she's been keeping to herself. Jason I'm worried about her. I know something is bothering her."
"Do you think something is bothering Louise…or is there something on your mind Kat?" Jason asked.
"She hasn't been the same since we came back from San Antonio and we haven't been the same since we found out she's Tommy and Kim's daughter. How do you think I feel when I realized that our chances of adopting a sweet little girl went out the window the minute we found out a dark secret that was kept for six years?"
"I know how you're feeling and as much as I wanted to adopt her…I know we can't," Jason replied, "Right now I resent both Tommy and Kim for that matter…but all I can do is sympathize for them. To make them believe that we adopted their little girl would be painful to bare. But to tell Louise the truth about her parents would crush her."
"Then what do you want me to say then?" Kat asked in frustration, "Do you want me to tell Louise that her parents actually adopted her as a baby and that her real parents are who she believes is her aunt and uncle? Do you want me to say Louise I'm sorry your parents lied to you about your fraternity and that we're sorry for lying to you making you believe that we adopted you? Is that what you want me to say? I can't explain it to her that easily unlike you being realistic and trying to find a simple solution to set things right!"
"And how is making a little six year old girl believe some fictional lie about her dreams of a happy family right?" Jason yelled, "I know how you're feeling! I know what you're going through but gosh you're not the only one who feels upset! How do you think I feel trying to come to terms with this? I can't bring myself to tell Louise that she's actually an Oliver, not a Healy and that Jeff and Mel lied to her!"
Louise was in the living room playing piano and she suddenly stopped. Despite the fact she maybe only six years old, she wasn't deaf to what she heard. She just sat there at the piano quietly and started crying. The next thing she did was she got up and went to the kitchen and just stood there while the two of them were talking.
"You…can't be lying…I know you can't," Louise suddenly said, "Mommy Kat…daddy Jason…is it true? Did…my mommy and daddy…lie to me? They have to be my parents I know they are! You adopted me and I'm your daughter now! You're…lying to me! I don't want to believe it!"
"Louise please…listen to us please sweetie," Kat begged as she tried to approach her.
"No! Get away from me!" Louise yelled, "You're a liar! My mommy and daddy are with the angels in heaven! They are my mommy and daddy you're wrong!"
"It's not true! Louise we have to tell you…" Jason replied.
"Jason don't even think about it!" Kat snapped, "She's been through enough okay?"
"Listen I'm not going to sit here and just let this slip okay Kat…she has a right to know the truth about her parents," Jason argued, "She needs to know that Mel and Jeff aren't her real parents, it's Tommy and Kimberly! My god Kat you don't get it…she was never ours to begin with okay? I love you so much but please, we have to do the right thing."
"Uncle Tommy and Aunt Kimberly…are you saying they're my real mommy and daddy?" Louise asked, "Daddy Jason, Mommy Kat…are you lying to me?"
"Tell her Katherine…please just say it she needs to know the truth."
"I can't Jason…I just can't do it," Kat sighed, "If you tell her the truth…there's going to be some serious repercussions that will come down upon our family."
"Stop it! I don't want to hear no more fighting please!" Louise cried covering her ears and running to her bedroom, "It's all a lie it has to be! Why are you lying? You're lying! Stop it!"
"What the hell is going on?" Jason sighed leaning against the wall, "What's happening to us?"
"Where are we?
What the hell is going on?
The dust has only just begun to fall
Crop circles in the carpet
Sinking, feeling"
(Oliver Residence)
Spin me round again and rub my eyes,
This can't be happening
When busy streets a mess with people
Would stop to hold their heads heavy…
Kimberly was in the living room cleaning up listening to the radio as she looked on the mantle of her family photo of her, Tommy, Courtney, and Ben on his first birthday. She was thinking to herself that she should be happy with everything her and Tommy have, until they realized that their family wasn't complete…because of Lulu, actually Louise. It was difficult to grasp the fact that Louise was the daughter Kim gave up for adoption six years ago and now Kat and Jason have adopted her.
Hide and seek
Trains and sewing machines
All those years
They were here first…
"Hey Beautiful…talk to me please," Tommy suddenly replied from behind, "Kim…look at me something is on your mind I can tell."
"What's there to say…except maybe the fact I spent all this time trying to find Louise, and just when I thought I was able to let go of her, she's there…back in our lives," Kim sighed, "Six years later she reappears suddenly and she was right in front of me the whole entire time. The worst part of it all was I denied that this little girl I called Lulu could actually be our daughter and we spent nights arguing about it…why is this happening? Oh god Tommy our first born daughter it's her…we found her."
"I know I promise you we'll get through this together," Tommy said embracing Kim, "It will be alright I know it's too overwhelming. It's not your fault and as I said over and over again I never blamed you for giving her up and not telling me about her. She's our daughter and we're able to face the truth now together."
"Biologically she's ours…legally she's now Kat and Jason's daughter," Kim sighed, "She was with them all this time and we didn't know, we were obvious to the fact that she was ours. I should know my own child…but you knew all along the truth, and I was the one in denial."
"What the hell do we do now?" Tommy asked, "Where does all of this go?"
"Tommy…I want her back," Kim suddenly replied, "Louise belongs with us…and she needs to know the truth and so do Kat and Jason. Please…understand Tommy what we have to do."
"I want Louise back to…but Kat and Jason have custody of her," Tommy sighed, "We'll have to do something about it…without damaging our friendship with them."
(Reefside Hospital…3 days later)
"Oily marks appear on walls
Where pleasure moments hung before
The takeover, the sweeping insensitivity
Of this still life
Hide and seek
Trains and sewing machines
(You won't catch me around here)
Blood and tears
They were here first…"
Three days passed and tensions were building up as Kat and Jason discovered that there was a possibility that Louise would have to be subjected to a fraternity test to prove that she is Tommy and Kim's daughter. They had no choice but to reply and give Tommy and Kim a request for a fraternity test after some legal matters. Tommy and Kim arrived at the hospital as Kat and Jason arrived with Louise in hand, but the little girl didn't want to be near either one of them and just sat away from them while they waited. Meanwhile, Tommy, Kim, Kat and Jason all sat across one another with conflicted emotions inside of them.
"So…where are Ben and Courtney?" Jason firmly asked, "How are they doing?"
"Hailey is watching them for the day because my folks are in Arizona visiting some relatives so they couldn't take the kids," Tommy replied, "What about Liam and the twins?"
"They're…with my folks at the zoo today," Kat said, "My parents decided to treat the kids out so we can be able to deal with all this personal stuff going on with Louise."
"Personal stuff?" Kim asked, "Look…I know everything is not well right now between all of us because of Louise. Please understand what has to be done?"
"And what the hell is that Kimberly huh?" Kat snapped pointing to Louise, "Thanks to the two of you we're here under court order! You see that little girl over there? She hasn't been the same since the day we came back from San Antonio and the worst part about it is…it's as if a little girl's heart has been broken hearing something she shouldn't know!"
"That's our daughter you're talking about!" Kim yelled, "She's mine and Tommy's daughter!"
"Yeah the one you gave up for adoption and is crushed to the point she believes she has no family!"
"But she does…unfortunately everything she lived was a lie," Tommy argued.
"Melanie and Jefferson loved Louise as if she was their own and frankly they were better parents to her than you two could ever be!" Jason argued, "Are you trying to tear my family apart because of this? Is this the lengths you'll go to get what you want? In my opinion Melanie and Jefferson will always be Louise's parents, not you two!"
"She was never theirs to begin with," Kim replied, "And you know it…as much as you can deny the truth Kat, Jason. Louise is our daughter and it's a fact that you can't change."
"We'll just let the damn DNA test reveal that," Kat snapped, "The results will prove it."
"The truth hurts and I'm sorry really I am," Tommy apologized, "I wish…it didn't come this way."
"Fuck you Tommy!" Jason replied counseling Kat, "You don't even care what happens next!"
A few hours later…
A few hours passed and the four of them were still waiting for the results of Louise's fraternity test. Kat and Jason met with the social worker and their attorney to discuss the possibilities after today of Louise's future. So far what they were hearing upset Kat and Jason and it was soon becoming a legal court matter, much to Tommy and Kimberly's discretion. The social worker was trying as best as she could to explain to Louise what was happening, but she was still in denial of the possibility of Tommy and Kim being her parents.
"So basically the chances of us legally adopting Louise are slim if the DNA test proves she is actually Tommy and Kimberly's daughter?" Kat asked her lawyer, "This is bullshit…they put her under our care after the Healys died."
"I understand Mrs. Scott," the lawyer replied, "But due to the petition of custody from the Olivers if test prove that Louise is in fact their daughter…they can demand custody of Louise back and automatically win."
"No we can't just comply to these terms without a fight!" Jason replied as Louise heard it.
"Stop yelling all of you!" Louise yelled, "I don't want Aunt Kim and Uncle Tommy to be my mommy and daddy! They can't be my mommy and daddy! Mommy Kat, daddy Jason please just stop its all a lie! You're lying to me!"
"You see what all of this is doing to her?" Kat argued, "She's only six years old and she shouldn't be caught in this custody dispute because Tommy and Kim decided out of the blue they want her back! What kind of parents of you to put her through that torture and just leave well being alone dammit? You don't know how much we just hate you two so much for this!"
"And what do you want us to do huh Kat just keep on letting this lie keep going on?" Kim argued, "You want to know the biggest mistake I ever made in my life and I want everyone to hear this. The biggest mistake I ever made was giving Louise up for adoption and never telling Tommy the truth about the letter because she was the reason behind the letter. It broke my heart to give her away because I couldn't support her and I had nothing left back then…she meant everything to me." Kim then turned to Louise, "I know right now you are denying the truth Louise…but if you thought I gave you up because I didn't love you don't ever think that. I love you more than anything in this world and I thought about you everyday for the last six years regretting what I did."
"Please…don't say anymore please," Louise cried, "It's all a lie…please stop."
"It's the truth if you don't believe it or not," Tommy sighed, "Everything we're saying is what we feel whether you believe us or not and despite what happens in the long run just know that we always love you Louise. You know when I found out about having a first born daughter I never knew of; despite not meeting you I loved you because you were mine. I wouldn't have giving up searching for you no matter what the cost were but believe whatever the results of the test are, just always know that you are not alone."
"Mr. Scott? Mrs. Scott?" the doctor came out, "We have the results of the fraternity tests."
"Well doctor…what does it say?" Jason asked as the doctor had the results in his hand, "We need to know what the hell is going on."
"The results state that according to the DNA test…it is 99 accurate," the doctor said, "The biological parents of Louise here are Tommy and Kimberly Oliver."
"This…can't be happening," Kat sighed in shocked, "Is Louise…truly their daughter?"
"I'm sorry Mrs. Scott but the results are accurate and she matches the same blood type as their category," the doctor said, "Louise is Tommy and Kimberly's daughter."
"They're…my real mommy and daddy?" Louise asked in confusion as she ran off, "That's not true! It's not true it can't be!"
"Louise wait please!" Kim yelled as Louise ran off, "Louise! Come back!"
"Louise…is really our daughter?" Tommy and Kim asked, "This is unbelievable she's ours."
"The hell with that! Are you happy now? Look at her…you just systematically ruined a young girl's life!" Kat cried in frustration and ran, "I can't believe this! As far as I'm concern, you two maybe her parents…but she'll always think of Mel and Jeff as being her real parents!"
"Oh my god so it's true to believe," Jason replied running after Kat, "The hell with the two of you thanks for destroying my wife and ruining my life!"
"Is this what we pay for finding Louise?" Kim asked, "Now we proved Louise is our daughter but at what cost? She denies us, our friends are pissed off at us and this is not how I wanted to picture our reunion with our daughter!"
"The truth always hurts," Tommy sighed hugging Kim, "We finally found our daughter…but we paid a heavy price for it."
"Mmmm what do you say,
Mmmm that you only meant well?
well of course you did
Mmmm what do you say,
Mmmm that's all for the best?
Ah of course it is
Mmmm what do you say?
Mmmm that it's just what we need
You decided this
Mmmm what do you say?
Mmmm what did she say?
Ransom notes keep falling out your mouth
mid-sweet talk, newspaper word cut outs
Speak no feeling
No I don't believe you
You don't care a bit,
You don't care a bit…"